1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a pump which carries out a movement of a working fluid by changing a capacity inside a pump chamber by means of a piston, a diaphragm or the like, and in particular to a compact, high-output pump.
2. Related Art
Until now, with a configuration of replacing a check valve of an outlet channel with a channel structure having a large inertance value, using an inertia effect of a fluid, a highly-reliable high-output pump with a large discharge flow volume corresponding to a high load pressure has been developed by the inventors of the invention. (Refer to Nonpatent Document 1: “A high-output micro pump using an inertia effect of a fluid” Japan Mechanical Society Journal 2003.10 VOL. 106 No. 1019 (Page 823, FIGS. 1 to 5)).
Also, in a fluid system which has as a fluid drive source a pump, such as a centrifugal pump, having a liquid as a working fluid, whose pumping capability deteriorates in the event that a gas accumulates inside the pump, it is often the case that a device is provided whereby a rotational flow is generated inside a channel, hereby eliminating air bubbles in the working fluid. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-333207 (Page 4, FIG. 1))
Also, a blood pump unit has been known wherein a rotational flow is generated inside the pump in order to prevent a coagulation of blood due to an accumulation of the blood inside the pump. (Refer to Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 2975105 (Page 6. FIGS. 12 and 13)).
In the case of a configuration in Nonpatent Document 1, a problem has existed wherein, in the event that air bubbles enter the pump, even though the pump capacity is changed, the pressure inside the pump chamber does not rise sufficiently due to the effect of the air bubbles, the performance deteriorates and, in the event that more than a certain amount of air bubbles enter the pump, discharge of the fluid becomes impossible.
In the case of the kind of air bubble removal device in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to carry out removal of the air bubbles in the working fluid by installing the device in a channel inside a circulatory liquid cooling device of a closed electronic instrument such as a cooling system, thereby reducing the inflow of air bubbles to the pump chamber, there has been no benefit with respect to air bubbles which have entered the pump chamber.
The pump in Patent document 2 has been designed to prevent the coagulation of blood caused by accumulation, and has not generated a rotational flow sufficient for the elimination of air bubbles.